18. Rose

18

Rose

I didn’t see Sebastian for three whole days after he used the toy on me. He left food, water, and fresh clothing for me when I was asleep, and that was how I tracked the passing of time.

Part of me was grateful to not have to see him, given the hot shame that poured through my mind and body whenever I recalled the way I begged him for an orgasm. The rest of me was starting to go crazy from the mind-numbing boredom and constant barrage of questions in my head.

I kept wondering why the Entity had abandoned me in such a nightmarish situation. I would then wonder if he’d placed me here on purpose as a test of my strength and devotion, and then I’d cry because I knew I was failing miserably. In my darkest moments, I even briefly wondered if Sebastian was right after all—that the Entity wasn’t even real.

I couldn’t entertain that thought for long. It was too horrible. Too sacrilegious. As soon as it started to drift across my mind, I’d pinch my arm and turn my attention to something else. Unfortunately, that ‘something else’ usually wound up being the obsessive thought pattern I’d developed since Sebastian decided to leave me alone for so long.

A strange, twisted part of me had started to wonder if he’d decided to abandon me because of my lack of experience. I’d really tried my best when he shoved himself in my mouth the other day, and he’d even told me that I was a natural, but to have him disappear for so long afterwards hurt and confused me. The thought that I might have displeased him bothered me, and I ached with envy when I pictured him taking his satisfaction with another woman instead. An outsider woman, who was probably far more experienced and knew exactly how to please him.

What bothered me the most about this line of thinking was the fact that I was even considering it at all. Why should I care if Sebastian was pleased with me? He was a monster. He’d taken me away from my people, locked me in a cage, and stripped me of all my dignity. He didn’t deserve to feel happiness or pleasure. Especially not from me.

And yet, those thoughts and worries still came unbidden, making my stomach churn and my pulse race.

I tried my best to distract myself from the darkness in my mind by focusing on my attempt at digging a hole out of this place. I’d managed to dislodge several stones with the spoon, and I’d also dug out half an inch of dirt in a circle big enough for me to squeeze through once it became a full-blown tunnel.

It was slow, tedious work, and I estimated that it would take me at least six months to dig my way out of here. That was a long time, but it was nothing compared to the rest of my life.

It occurred to me that I would miss my Tetrad ritual during those months, and that made me concerned about the Covenant’s reaction upon my return. I predicted they would be terrified about my disappearance but also angry with me for missing the ritual, because without my contribution to the Tetrad process, the veil separating the Darkness from the world would grow thinner and weaken, allowing all sorts of monstrosities to spill onto our land.

Given that… would they welcome me back with open arms? What role would I play in society? Would I just be Rosamund the teacher, instead of Rosamund the celestial virgin? Or would they allow me to participate in a different eclipse ritual instead?

I had no idea, and the confusion and fear made my head spin. The only thing that made me feel slightly better about any of it was the fact that the Covenant’s uncertain reaction to my return was a problem for a future version of me—a version that escaped this hellish place. A version that finished the tunnel, clawed my way out of here, made it home.

That thought spurred me on, imbuing me with enough hopeful energy to chip away at the hard dirt for hours upon hours.

Just as I removed yet another stone in order to widen the hole in the wall, there was a scuffing sound somewhere outside the glass wall. Heart racing, I leapt back from the hole, shoved the bed back in its place, and hid the spoon under the mattress. Then I knelt by the bed, hands clasped in front of me as if I’d simply been praying.

From behind me, I heard the soft hiss of the lock disengaging, followed by heavy footsteps as Sebastian stepped inside. “Good morning, Rose.”

I turned to him, eyes immediately landing on the tray balanced on one hand. He smiled and set it down on the floor. “Oatmeal for breakfast. I added some brown sugar on top for you, as a little treat for being so good the last time we were together.”

That horrible, twisted part of my mind glowed with happiness and relief at his words. He was pleased with my performance after all.

I pushed the unwanted thoughts aside and bowed my head. “Thank you, Master,” I murmured.

Really, I wanted to scream at him. Where have you been? What have you been doing? Why did you leave me alone for so long?

“I assume you have some questions, so you may speak freely for now,” Sebastian said.

I swallowed hard and looked up. “You left me alone for so long. Where have you been?”

His lips stretched in a cold smile. “You missed me, huh?”

“I…” I trailed off, lips parting as I tried to figure out a response that wouldn’t get me punished.

Sebastian’s smile widened to a mocking grin. “That was a joke, Rose. I know you didn’t miss me,” he said. “To answer your question—I’ve had urgent work matters to attend to. Seems a few people missed the memo about me taking time off. I’ve also been up at Alderwood a few times, helping out with the search.”

“For me?”

“Yes.”

A hard lump appeared in the back of my throat. “They must be so frightened.”

“The general mood up there is pretty grim, but they’re coping in their own way.” His eyes narrowed slightly, and he stroked his jaw. “There are three main camps. One believes you were taken by the Entity as a sort of test, and that you will be returned just before your ritual date. That’s the side your father and the other elders have landed on.”

“And the other sides?”

His cold smile returned. “I’ve been quietly suggesting to a few people here and there that you could’ve been snatched up by a gang of outsiders. I said it would make sense, given the general sentiment toward the Covenant, and that they could have disabled part of the electric fence and snatched you up after seeing you on a walk. Quite a few people believe that theory now. Especially because outsider attacks on Alderwood have happened before. Never abductions, but there’s a first for everything.”

I glowered at him. “Why are you starting rumors like that?” I said. “What’s the point when they already think you’re innocent? You don’t need to deflect suspicion.”

“I’m always thinking several steps ahead, Rose.” He tapped the side of his head. “At some point, I want to let your father know that you’re alive and there’s a chance he could get you back, if only he follows my instructions and answers all my questions. But I want him to think it’s someone else who has you. Not me. An outsider gang instead, who happened to get his phone number from one of the places in town he does business with. A gang of men who’ve been seething with rage and hatred toward the Covenant for years and planning this scheme for nearly just as long.”

My nose wrinkled. “Why would you want him to think you’re someone else? That doesn’t make sense.”

“Yes, it does. If he thinks others took you, he’ll continue to see me as an ally, meaning I’ll still be allowed in Alderwood to do my research. In other words, searching around for the evidence I want and need about my mother’s murder,” he said. “Meanwhile, your father will be desperately spilling information via text to the so-called outsider gang, which should help me locate that evidence. You see?”

“He’ll know it’s really you on the phone the moment your fake gang starts bringing up Miranda.”

“I already thought of that, baby girl. This ‘gang’ will be demanding information on all sorts of subjects. Not just my mother’s death.”

“I see.” I sighed wearily, one hand rubbing my forehead. His plan was insane and could get him seriously hurt or killed, but that was his problem, not mine. “You said there are three camps of belief regarding my disappearance. What’s the last one?”

“They think you went for a walk and got snatched up by a bear. Your father and the elders don’t like this sort of talk, so they’ve been trying to squash the theory, along with the one I secretly started. But I’ve still heard whispers about both around the tavern.”

I shook my head. “The bears on our land are not the kind that attack and eat humans.”

“Well, everyone in Alderwood is very confused, so they’re looking high and low for an explanation, because you really do seem to have vanished into thin air,” he replied. “Or a bear’s stomach.”

Fury ricocheted through me. This man, this awful monster, was taking full advantage of my people’s warm hospitality while mocking them behind their backs for their fear. He didn’t deserve to be in Alderwood. Didn’t deserve to be anywhere on this earth. A man like him deserved to reside in Hell.

I briefly closed my eyes and curled my hands at my side, digging my fingernails into my palms. I couldn’t show my anger. It would only earn me more punishment.

“Speaking of stomachs,” Sebastian went on. “You must be hungry. You should eat.”

I looked down at the bowl of oatmeal. “Yes, Master,” I said, reaching for it. Confusion suddenly struck me, and I pulled my hand back. “Oh. There’s no cutlery.”

Sebastian stared at me, eyes flickering with a strange smugness. “Damn. I must’ve forgotten it,” he said. “But it’s all right. You can just use that spoon you keep hidden under your mattress.”

Cold fear washed through me. “What?” I squeaked.

He grinned, fingertips slowly rubbing at his jaw. “You really thought I didn’t know?”

“How…”

He jerked a thumb toward the light. “There’s a surveillance camera attached to that,” he said. “It monitors you twenty-four hours a day. The footage can be live streamed to my phone or computer, and it also records it, so if I’m busy, I can go back and watch it all later.”

“A… camera?” I said, rising to my feet to squint at the light. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for, exactly, because I hadn’t seen enough outsider light fixtures to know what was normal.

“You know what a movie is, right? We’ve discussed it before.”

I nodded, turning my wide eyes back to Sebastian’s handsome face. “Yes.”

“They use cameras to capture the people’s actions.” He motioned to the light again. “That’s sort of what you’re in right now. My own personal movie.”

“So you’ve been watching me this whole time?” I said in a low voice.

Sebastian smiled again. “Of course I have, Rose. You didn’t really think I’d leave you alone, did you?” he asked. He stepped forward and held out his hand. “Give me the spoon.”

I dropped back to my knees and slid my hand under the mattress, stomach sinking even more as I pulled out the spoon and handed it to Sebastian. He wiped it off on his jacket before lifting it closely to inspect it for any remaining traces of dirt. Then he held it out to me.

“You’re giving it back?” I asked, voice barely above a whisper.

“Of course. You need it to eat, and presumably, you’ll also want to keep digging that tunnel of yours.”

I slowly shook my head. “I… I don’t understand. Aren’t you angry at me?”

“For trying to escape?” He tipped his head back and chuckled again. “No. I love it. You’ve always had that spark of defiance in you. That need to break the rules. It’s a real turn-on, baby girl.”

“So you’re just going to let me keep digging?”

“Sure, if that’s what you want,” he said, eyes flickering with amusement. “You’ll get about two inches in and hit a wall of reinforced steel.”

“Why?”

“It’s part of the supporting structure,” he said. “I mean, come on, Rose. Did you really think this underground shelter was nothing but a dirt pit with a few stones on the walls? That would collapse instantly.”

Tears sprang to my eyes, blurring my vision, and all the air left my lungs, taking my last bit of hope with it. For a moment, I felt like I was drowning. I forced myself to inhale before saying, “Why did you let me dig it in the first place if you knew I couldn’t get out?”

He grinned. “So I could see the look on your face when the truth finally dawned on you.”

Salty tears rolled down my cheeks, running into my mouth. I had never hated Sebastian more than I did in this moment. He’d just ripped away the last sliver of hope I had left in my mind, and he’d done it with a cruel smile on his face and words that dripped with glee, like my existence was nothing more than a joke.

“Stop crying and eat your food,” he said, forcing the spoon into my hand. “We don’t have all fucking day.”

I blinked rapidly, trying to stave off another wave of tears, and dug into the food. It tasted good, but I could barely eat more than a few bites. The mixture of hopelessness, fear, and fury was making me feel sick to my stomach.

Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest, eyes boring into me. “You’ve had a lot of time to think over the last few days,” he said. “Have you figured out exactly why I brought you here yet?”

I swallowed my final bite and set the spoon down on the tray. “Yes. It’s quite obvious,” I muttered. “Especially after what you said a few minutes ago about that research of yours.”

“I want to hear you say it.”

I cleared my throat and lifted my chin. “You lied about everything from the second you stepped foot in my village. That includes what you said about your belief that we are innocent in the case of your mother’s murder,” I said. “You obviously want to punish me for what happened to her, because in doing so, you punish my father and everyone else in the Covenant.”

“Close enough,” Sebastian replied. “I want answers about what happened, and here’s the thing—if you’re able to give me those answers without a fight, right now, things will be a lot easier for you down here. Do you understand?”

I nodded sullenly.

“I want to know exactly what happened to my mother the night your father took her. I also want to know where that forbidden cave of yours is located,” he said. “You can tell me now, or I can torture it out of you. Or your father, if it comes down to that.”

My blood ran cold. “Why do you want to know about the cave?” I asked in a low voice.

“Because that’s what my mother was looking into right before she died. I remember her telling me when I was a boy,” he replied, eyes hardening. “I want to know why she died. Not just how. And I have a feeling the answer lies in that cave.”

I nodded slowly. “So if I answer your questions, you’ll free me?”

“Free you?” Sebastian stared at me like I’d sprouted three extra heads. “No. Of course not.”

“Why?”

“I can think of at least three reasons off the top of my head,” he said, eyes flashing. “Firstly, once you tell me everything, I’ll still need to find some tangible evidence up in the village, or in the cave. A knife your father kept as a trophy, perhaps, or my mother’s laptop computer. Your word would count for something, but it wouldn’t be enough for the authorities. That’s why I need to grill your father for information as well as you.”

“You won’t find anything in the village,” I murmured.

He ignored me. “Secondly, if I ever release you, you’ll run straight back there and tell them everything. Even if your father and the other men responsible for my mother’s murder are brought to justice and can’t retaliate against me, I’d still have every other Covenant member coming after me for the rest of my life. That’s no way to live, is it? Really takes the fun out of things.”

I looked up at him again. “What’s the third reason?”

He crouched to meet me at my level, one hand grasping my chin. “I don’t want to let you go, Rose,” he said in a low, husky voice. “It’s as simple as that. I don’t fucking want to.”

“So… you’re just going to keep me here forever?”

“Yes. I told you. You’re mine.”

My eyes narrowed. “Then why should I tell you anything? Either way, I’ll be stuck here for the rest of my life, however short or long that ends up being.”

“As I said, your cooperation will make things easier for you here. Or do you like pain, Rose?”

I glowered at him. “No. I just have nothing to tell you.”

“Are you sure about that?” he asked, gripping my chin again. “Because I know for a fact that you know where the cave is. You told me so yourself.”

“I cannot reveal the location to you. If you enter it and pierce the veil, the Darkness will be released into the world. As for your other demand… I cannot tell you what happened to your mother, because the Covenant is innocent. We had nothing to do with her murder. My father will tell you the same when you eventually contact him.”

Sebastian sighed and rose to his feet. “Your hypocrisy never fails to surprise me,” he said. “You claim to be so pious and innocent, but you lie right to my face, over and over. Hardly saintly behavior, is it?”

I gritted my teeth. “I am not lying.”

“Yeah, you fucking are, and I’m going to get the truth out of you one way or another.”

The sharpness in his voice cut through the air like a knife, and his hand shot down to my arm, gripping it tightly enough to bruise the skin. He dragged me up to my feet and pulled me over to the door.

The oxygen left my lungs as fear slithered down my spine. “Where… where are we going?” I managed to gasp out.

“It’s about time you saw the toy room,” he growled, hot mouth only inches from my ear. “After you spend some quality time in there, you might finally learn how to tell the truth.”

“I am telling the truth!” I screamed, trying to dig my heels into the floor. It was pointless. He was far too strong for me.

“You’re a filthy little liar, Rose,” he replied, eyes lit with savagery. “You need to be punished. Properly this time.”

He opened the glass door and pulled me into the space beyond. I saw a set of concrete stairs leading upward, and to the right of that lay a narrow passage. Sebastian roughly dragged me through that passage, ignoring my pleas and cries of protest, and stopped when we reached a black door.

“Please,” I choked out, terrified of what might lie beyond the door. “Believe me.”

He ignored me and pushed the door open, revealing a small, dim room with slate gray walls. A wooden frame in the form of a Latin cross stood in the center, thick black ropes dangling from either side of the horizontal beam that intersected the vertical one. A rack hung on one of the walls, laden with more ropes, chains, a series of whips and belts, and various other objects I didn’t recognize.

“Don’t hurt me,” I begged, instantly dropping to my knees when Sebastian let go of my arm. I clasped my hands like I was praying to him, eyes wide and beseeching. “Please!”

His nostrils flared, and he turned to close the door behind us with a loud thud. Then he returned to my side and yanked me to my feet by my hair. “Off,” he commanded, gesturing to the silky button-up shirt and pants he’d left for me to wear the day before.

“Sebastian, please…”

“It’s Master to you. You know this,” he hissed, fingers twisting in my hair. My scalp stung, forcing more tears to my eyes. “Take it all off. Now .”

I didn’t have a choice. Not unless I really wanted to suffer.

A wrenching sob escaped my mouth as I slipped the shirt and pants off to reveal my naked body to him. A cruel smirk quirked his lips, and he reached down to pinch one of my nipples, which had suddenly hardened. Then he dragged me kicking and screaming to the wooden cross and tied my arms to the horizontal beam, leaving my back exposed and vulnerable.

It wasn’t cold in the room, but I shivered anyway, goosebumps cropping up all over my skin. I’d felt fear with Sebastian many times before, but never like this. Not even when he showed me that black vibrating toy and informed me it was going up my ass.

He stepped around to the front of the cross, eyes coasting over my bare torso. One of my breasts was pressed against the cold wooden vertical beam of the cross, but the other was visible to him, nipple still stiff and pointed.

I would never admit it out loud, but I knew my nipples were hard because of my attraction to him. Even after all his cruelty toward me, he was still the most handsome man I’d ever seen, and no amount of fear or hatred could make those base, primal cravings disappear.

He smiled as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. Then he stepped over to the rack and ran a hand over some of the whips. “Pick one,” he said, looking at me.

My throat was almost closed from the terror lodged in it, but I managed to choke out an answer. “The one on the far left.”

His smile widened. “Not a good choice for you,” he said, eyes flashing with malevolent amusement. “I assume you picked it because it’s smaller than the others, but it’ll actually hurt more than most of them.”

“Another one, then,” I said, panic making my voice rise an octave. “Please!”

“No. You’ve made your selection, and it’s final.” Sebastian picked up the black, multi-tailed whip and strode back over to me, one hand running over my bare skin. My back automatically arched toward him, and I silently cursed myself, hating how my body always craved his touch.

“Please…” I whispered. “Let me go. I’ll do anything.”

“That’s right, baby girl. Beg me.” He trailed the whiptails across my back, making me shiver again. “Soon enough, you’ll be begging for this too. Begging for more punishment. Some part of you loves it.”

Something swooped low in my belly. I fervently shook my head, and Sebastian chuckled, moving his free hand down between my legs. I closed my eyes, instantly knowing and hating what he would find there.

“I knew it,” he muttered, confirming my fear. “You’re wet.”

A humiliated sob escaped my mouth. There was something truly wrong with my mind and body. I shouldn’t feel anything but terror right now, but there was something else swirling amidst that fear.

Sebastian’s proximity to me, the raw hatred in his voice mixed with husky need, and the undeniable power he held over me, knowing he could do absolutely anything to me while I could do nothing but endure it… all of it made my sick, twisted mind view him as the very god he claimed to be, turning the cold fear into hot, wicked anticipation. I wanted to serve him. Please him. Worship at his feet.

Stop it, I commanded myself. Stop it now!

“You’re a little whore, aren’t you?” Sebastian said in a low voice. “A real sinner. I wonder if you’re even a virgin like you claim.”

“I am!” I bucked against the cross, struggling with the rope restraints. “I swear!”

“Well, then...” He swiped his fingers through my slick folds again. Then he stepped closer, and I felt a hard bulge in his pants pressing against my body. He was just as aroused as I was right now. “Perhaps you’re so wet because you know this punishment is exactly what you deserve.”

“Please, Sebastian. I don’t deserve it,” I said in a broken whisper. “I’ve never lied to you. I really know nothing about your mother.”

“Yes, you fucking do.” He hit me with the whip without warning, and I shrieked and jolted against my restraints as white-hot pain sliced across my upper back.

Without even giving me time to recover from the first blow, he hit me again, letting the tails lash my lower back this time. “Stop!” I screamed. “Please!”

“No,” he snarled. He rained down two more lashes on my bare skin, and tears flooded my cheeks and rolled into my mouth; so many that I thought I might choke on them. “Not unless you’re ready to admit the truth.”

“I told you the truth!” I shrieked. “We didn’t hurt your mother!”

He whipped me again, and one of the tails snapped all the way around to my front, lashing the underside of my exposed breast. I gasped and whimpered, knowing I couldn’t take much more of this agony.

As another lash caught my breast, on the edge this time, I remembered a boy from my village. Years ago, he’d accidentally wandered into the wrong area of the surrounding woods, and he’d wound up in an animal trap. A wooden spike had gone all the way through his left leg, and yet, he’d managed to make the two mile walk back to Alderwood.

Later, when I asked him how he’d endured such terrible pain, he told me he’d gone somewhere else in his head. I had no idea what that meant, so I pressed him for more information, and he told me he’d forced himself to think of anything but the pain. He remembered happy times and pretended he was right back there again, in those sweet little moments, and for a while, he even pretended he was another person entirely, watching the injured boy stagger back to the village from above.

If he could do that, I could do it too. May the Entity, my Eternal Master, guide me through these moments.

I sucked in a deep, shaky breath, closed my eyes and disappeared into an old memory—the first time I discovered my favorite berry-picking spot in the woods. I knew no one else ever ventured anywhere near that spot, because it was so close to the boundary fence, but I instantly saw how wonderful it was, filled with luscious, juicy berries of all varieties. Everything was ripe for the picking. I made many delicious jams and pies after that day, and everyone who tasted them was pleased with me, their heaped compliments making me glow with happiness. There was no pain in that memory. Nothing but joy.

Yes… thank you, Master.

“I’ve pictured this in my head for so long,” I heard Sebastian say behind me. His voice sounded distant, and I knew my plan was working. I’d gone somewhere else in my head, and now I wouldn’t have to feel so much pain. “I’ve pictured you tied up and screaming, begging for mercy. It makes me so fucking hard. Beg me again, Rose.”

Even though my mind was mostly elsewhere, his words still registered, and I gasped out the response I knew he wanted. “Please… stop.”

“Tell me what your father did to my mother!”

I felt the whip hit my back again, and I drifted away in my mind once more. This time, I found myself in a memory I’d suppressed for years; one I’d stopped myself from returning to many times.

No, not that, I tried to tell myself, but my mind was already plunging into the darkness.

I was nearly five years old, watching the night sky race by as I sat in the back of a car. It was the first time I’d ever been in one, but I couldn’t enjoy the novel experience. My forehead was burning with fever, and my stomach hurt. I felt weak and sleepy, and for once, Miranda Thorne’s presence didn’t help. She was a wonderfully nice lady most of the time, but right now, she was screaming and crying, and I didn’t like it.

“Stop your shrieking!” Papa snapped, eyes focusing on us in the narrow mirror at the front of the car. “You’re scaring Rosamund!”

Miranda let out another sob and looked over at me. She couldn’t move much, because Jean-Pierre had tied her arms behind her back with a rope before he strapped her into the back of the car.

“Is she sick too, Papa?” I asked in a small voice.

“Yes, Rosamund,” he said curtly. “That’s why she’s crying. She’s very, very sick. But we’ll make her feel better soon.”

Miranda leaned closer to me, chest heaving. “Rosie,” she said in a ragged whisper. “Help me.”

“How?” I whispered back. Rain was falling heavily on the car now, pattering loudly, so I knew Papa and Jean-Pierre wouldn’t hear me. “You need medicine?”

“Yes, sweetie. I can get it. You just need to get something for me first. But it has to be a secret between us girls,” Miranda murmured, leaning even closer. “You understand? Our special secret.”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“In my right jeans pocket. Reach in.”

Slowly and tentatively, I did as she said, reaching over to her pocket. There was something small and hard in there.

My father suddenly barked at me. “What are you doing back there?”

I snapped my hand backward and sat up straight.

“I don’t think my seatbelt is done up properly,” Miranda said. “Rosamund was going to clip it in for me. Unless you want me to fly headlong through the windshield in the event of a crash?”

“That won’t happen. Hands to yourself, Rosamund.”

Miranda looked over at me again, eyes wide and beseeching. She looked so scared. I understood. I was scared too. I’d never felt so sick before, and I was scared of dying like my mother did when I was a baby. I had to get Miranda the medicine she needed, even if it made Papa angry.

Moving even slower this time, I quietly slid my hand across the back seat and over to Miranda’s pants. When I reached her pocket, I looked up to make sure Papa wasn’t looking in the mirror again. Then I pulled the hard object out of her pocket and sat up straight. Jean-Pierre’s head swiveled to look at me, presumably catching my sudden movement in the corner of his eye. I feigned a coughing fit to cover it.

“She shouldn’t be here, Augustus. I told you that,” he said, turning back to the front.

Papa sighed. “I know. But I don’t trust anyone to take care of her like I can. It seems like the same fever Celeste had.”

“But the healers can—”

“Stop questioning me about it, Jean-Pierre!” Papa snapped. “I don’t want to risk losing my daughter, so I brought her. It’s done. All right?”

While their conversation went on, I looked over at Miranda. She dipped her chin toward the object I’d retrieved from her pocket. “Open it, Rosie,” she whispered. “It’s a flip phone.”

I glanced at the front to make sure Papa and Jean-Pierre were still engrossed in their heated conversation. Then I did as Miranda said and slowly opened the thing she called a flip phone. I had no idea what the device actually did, but she obviously knew it could be helpful in some way.

“Press the star button. Then the number one. You see it?” she whispered urgently. “You’re doing so well. Just those two buttons.”

I frowned down at the strange-looking device, squinting at the buttons on it. I finally saw one that looked like it could be a star, and I pressed it before pressing the number one.

“On the floor,” Miranda whispered before coughing loudly to cover the strange sound that was faintly emanating from the phone now.

I tossed it on the car floor and coughed too. My father briefly turned back to look at me, and my vision suddenly blurred as the memory became dark and foggy.

“You stupid girl!” Papa barked.

I was back at home now, and my fever was gone. I didn’t feel any better, though. I was scared, because strange men and women in matching blue-gray clothes and black boots were swarming the village, searching everywhere they could.

“I’m sorry, Papa,” I said, tears springing to my eyes.

“I don’t care if you’re sorry, Rosamund. It’s too late for that now,” he said, eyes narrowing. I’d never seen him look so furious before. “This is all happening because of you!”

“I’m sorry, Papa,” I repeated.

“Do you even know what you’re apologizing for?” he shouted, advancing toward me.

“Yes, Papa. It’s my fault. What happened to Miranda was all my fault.”

My chin suddenly snapped upward, and my eyes flew open. Sebastian had stopped lashing me, and he was standing right in front of me, one hand gripping my jaw. “What did you say?”

“It was my fault,” I choked out. My eyes dropped to the whip dangling from his right hand. “I deserve this.”

“What do you mean?”

My head lolled forward, eyes closing again. I was exhausted from the vision the Entity had placed in my head.

Sebastian stepped behind me and hit me with the whip again, alternating between hard and soft strokes until I was a whimpering mess. “You said what happened to my mother was your fault, and that you deserve this,” he ground out between lashes. “Tell me what it means.”

The lashes still hurt, but they felt good at the same time, because some deep-down part of me knew I really did deserve every single one of them. I couldn’t remember why, because it was all a blurry, foggy mess, but that culpable feeling had latched onto me with its sharp, venomous fangs, and I knew it was right to do so. I’d done something terrible all those years ago, and this whipping was divine penance. A punishment that would cleanse my soul.

“Oh,” I moaned, head lolling the other way. “More. Please…”

“You want more?” Sebastian reached around with his free hand to feel between my legs. I knew he’d find me soaked again. “More punishment?”

“Yes,” I gasped.

He slowly dragged the tassels of the whip over my already-stinging back, and I moaned as the painful sensation twined with the blissful knowledge that the Entity’s hands were working through Sebastian’s. It felt so good, agony and arousal melding together to create an intoxicating blend that overwhelmed my senses, leaving me craving more and more of the exquisite torment.

Sebastian drew back and lashed me again, across my upper back. “Tell me the truth,” he growled. “Tell me what happened that night.”

I tried to say something, but it was all too overwhelming now, and the words wouldn’t come. My vision started to blur again, the edges darkening and closing in like a tightening tunnel.

A tunnel…

Was I there? Had I dug it after all? Was I crawling out of this prison? Or was I tunneling down to Hell?

I had no idea. All memories and rational thoughts had abandoned me. My head felt light, almost detached from my body, and I let out one final moan as a rush of disorienting dizziness hit me.

With that, everything went black.